Caribbean tsunami warning

Caribbean countries should watch for the occurrence of a possible tsunami or floods caused by a hurricane, Dr. Cesar Toro, of the Intergovernmental Inter-oceanic Commission, affirmed here Friday.

The catastrophic 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean triggered an alert over the potential for loss of human lives in the Caribbean, the expert said at the 8th MarCuba 2006 Congress on Sea Sciences, taking place at Havana s Conference Center.

Consequently, he warned, the impact of such natural phenomena on the region s life and economy cannot be ruled out, given that the Caribbean population, mainly in coastal settlements, has increased due to tourism development.

Though the tsunami warning is regularly set for the Pacific region in general, mainly after the one in 2004 in Sumatra, the Caribbean has historically registered the highest death toll.

It is imperative the area has its own warning system, Toro noted, adding the States should adopt strategies to instruct the population and guarantee adequate, prompt responses in emergency cases.